Ministers responsible for culture and foreign affairs from 22 countries have signed a joint statement calling on the organisers of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia to reconsider the participation of the Russian federation.
The initiative, launched by Latvia’s Minister of Culture Agnese Lāce, brought together ministers from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine within just a few days.
The joint letter has been addressed to Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, President of La Biennale di Venezia, and the Board of Directors of the Biennale, and shared for information with Italy’s Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli.
The ministers emphasise that for more than a century the Venice Biennale has stood as one of the world’s most respected platforms for artistic freedom and international cultural exchange. At the same time, they underline that cultural institutions carry not only artistic significance but also moral responsibility.
“Culture is not separate from the realities societies face. It shapes how people understand the world, what they value, and how they choose to act. Cultural institutions therefore carry not only artistic significance but also moral responsibility.”
The ministers stress that Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine has brought widespread destruction to Ukraine’s cultural life and heritage, including damage to museums, historic sites, monuments and other cultural institutions.
They also note that the Russian federation remains subject to European and international sanctions, including in the cultural domain, imposed for its violation of international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty.
“In this context, granting Russia a prestigious international cultural platform sends a deeply troubling signal.”
The letter also recalls the voices of artists and curators who withdrew from the Russian pavilion following the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As Russian-born artist Kirill Savchenkov stated when he, together with Alexandra Sukhareva and Lithuanian curator Raimundas Malašauskas, withdrew from the pavilion:
“There is no place for art when civilians are dying under the fire of missiles, when citizens of Ukraine are hiding in shelters, and when Russian protestors are getting silenced.”
For these reasons, the signatory ministers consider the participation of the Russian federation in the Venice Biennale unacceptable under the current circumstances and call on the Biennale leadership to reconsider its decision.
The ministers underline that international cultural platforms should not be used to legitimise military aggression or undermine the system of international sanctions.
For additional information: